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Olympic Trials Set for Park City

Spots for Sochi will be on the line Dec. 28-29 when the 2014 U.S. Olympic Trials for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined come to the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. (Photo: Utah Olympic Park)

PARK CITY, Utah (June 3) – Spots for Sochi will be on the line Dec. 28-29 when the 2014 U.S. Olympic Trials for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined come to the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The events will be broadcast on NBC including live coverage of ski jumping featuring the historic first Olympic Trials for women and a fresh look at the U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team that won four medals in Vancouver. Among the top contenders will be Olympic Nordic combined champion Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) and World Champion ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT). The winner of each event will be nominated for the U.S. Olympic Team.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Utah Olympic Park in Park City, site of the 2002 Olympic ski jumping, will play host to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Trials for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 28-29.

The event will be broadcast Sunday, Dec. 29 on NBC with a 90 minute special featuring live coverage from ski jumping and a next day recap of nordic combined.

In a winner takes all format, the champion of each event will receive a nomination to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team.

Women’s ski jumping will make its Olympic Trials debut with the winner becoming the first female ski jumper to qualify for the historic 2014 U.S. Olympic Team.

The Utah Olympic Park ski jumps have been a primary base for most of the top men’s and women’s ski jumpers. Since growing up around the 2002 Olympic Games, the U.S. women’s jumpers have set the standard in their sport with both Lindsey Van and Sarah Hendrickson (both Park City, UT) taking world titles.

The U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team, which also makes its base in Park City, won four medals in Vancouver including an historic first gold for Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY).

The remainder of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team in ski jumping and nordic combined will be selected from existing World Cup and Continental Cup events.

The 2014 U.S. Olympic Trials are a partnership between the United States Olympic Committee, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and the Utah Sports Commission.

QUOTESSarah HendricksonI can remember everyone coming to my hometown of Park City for the Olympics in 2002 and embracing the events. Even though I was only seven at the time, something about the world coming together to celebrate hard training sparked my interest. I can hardly describe the feeling that 12 years later I will be competing for a spot on the Olympic Team and potentially be able to represent my country in the biggest sporting event possible.

I have watched my older teammates fight to get women's ski jumping into the Games and it would be a huge honor to be a part of this first gender equal Olympics. As we look forward to December and the 2014 U.S. Olympic Trials that will be hosted in Park City, I only get more excited and dedicated to work hard until that moment. It has been a huge dream of mine to make the team and it will be far from easy.

Billy DemongI'm really looking forward to having a domestic event that will showcase our sport going into the Sochi Olympics, especially having it at the home of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. It really shows longevity and legacy here in Salt Lake City and Park City for the Olympics and its legacy. Above all, I think it's going to be really exciting to have an event here in the Olympic season with a lot of guys fired up to try to make the team as well as showcase the sport on NBC.

Bill MaroltThe 2002 Olympic venues in Utah have forged an amazing legacy as a motivator and proving ground for young athletes like Sarah Hendrickson and a training home for Olympic champions like Billy Demong. The Olympic Trials will be a great attraction during the busy holiday period in Park City next December and are a great partnership between the USSA and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Utah Sports Commission and the U.S. Olympic Committee..

Colin Hilton, President and CEO, Utah Olympic Legacy FoundationUtah continues its very unique Olympic Legacy efforts in hosting the U.S. Olympic Nordic Trials and it is only fitting that athletes that literally grew up on these jumps will now be competing for an Olympic roster spot.

Michael JaquetThe 2014 Olympic Trials are another great opportunity for the USSA to work side by side with the U.S. Olympic Committee on an event that will be showcased live on NBC. It also gives our joint sponsors the ability to partner with us on an event that will feature truly best in the world athletes.

Jeff Robbins, President and CEO, Utah Sports CommissionAs a key partner in the 2014 Olympic Trials, the fact that this world-class event will generate millions of dollars in economic impact and significant worldwide media exposure for Utah is terrific news for our state.